<p>I had to ship a box via FedEX Ground. So I walked in an FedEX Authorized Shipper (A packing/copying/mailbox ecct. like store), with a box already labled and ready to go, I have an account with Fedex and can print the lable at home. To my suprise, he said $5 to drop off!!! or I can go to a Kinko/FedEx location and drop off free!! I walked out with my box… </p>
<p>Any thoughts? Experiences?</p>
<p>You didn’t buy the box from them, or the shipping. They are an independent business. They’ve got to make their money somehow. </p>
<p>Why should they handle your package for free?</p>
<p>Won’t FedEx pick up at your house for free?</p>
<p>IIRC, the rule used to be that authorized shippers had to accept prepaid packages without a fee as it was part of their contract with FedEx/UPS. Franchised UPS Store locations are required to accept prepaid UPS packages without a fee and Staples/Office Depot/Office Max also accept packages without a fee.</p>
<p>FedEx and UPS both charge to pick up packages at locations that don’t have a regularly scheduled pickup time and ship a certain amount per month.</p>
<p>I would suggest calling FedEx and asking about this charge.</p>
<p>I would drop it off at the FedEx/Kinkos and not pay the charge. I suspect they can charge a non-standard fee if they like. Otherwise, why would they take the hassle of storing people’s packages there at all, for free? The guy down the street from us charges $1/package, so that’s worth it if we don’t want to drive the extra miles.</p>
<p>I do this with UPS all the time. The local pack and ship does not charge me anything. They take the package and off I go.</p>
<p>I do it with a local Mailboxes all the time when I have a pkg that is too big to go in the drop box. Fed Ex supplies the packaging for free.</p>
<p>I do this everyday and have NEVER been charged a $5. fee.</p>
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<p>Yup. I have done this “million” times with other Authorized Shipper before, this is the first time I was asked to pay a fee. I have never been to this place before. Perhaps never will.</p>
<p>Of course, if you ask the Authorized Shipper to calculate the rate, propose alternatives, pack it, provide you with packaging (even Fed Ex packaging), it is not unreasonable, but if you drop off a ready-to-go pre-labeled pkg, you shouldn’t have to pay anything.</p>
<p>I frequently take prepaid UPS boxes to my local, independent shipping store for drop-off. Last year I was feeling a bit guilty that I’m always in there taking packages with no payment due to the business owner. I asked him if he gets any kind of compensation for accepting the packages and he said that he does get a small payment from UPS for handling the pre-paids.</p>